How long before the Apistogramma becomes fat?

[wasabi8888]

Hi all

I have a Apistogramma trifasciata that I feel is a bit thin. I have scooped him out into another tank to increase food for him. In the previous tank which is a community tank, he is always the last to eat as the rest of the fishes tend to reach the food before him..

He is doing well in the new environment as it's been a week and eating well. How long before the stomach becomes fatter. I have increased his feed. I used to feed him once a day. Now i feed him once everyday but on alternate days i feed him twice. Food is live brine shrimp or Cichlid Crumbles.


Of course, the thinness could be due some parasite or bacteria infection. But he as been like that for a while and he is still alive. So I guess he should be OK...

Advice please.

[valice]

I used to have one apistogramma that will always eat alot, but never grow fat. And in the end, it die from internal parasite as the tummy caved in after 4 months. Check that the stomach doesn't have any signs of caving.

Feed frozen bloodworms. One of the most fatty of all the foods.

[taygu]

I would suggest twice a day, once in the morning and once in the night. You should be able to see some result within a week.

This is the one from me?

[wasabi8888]

Yup... Joe.. that's the one... abit thin.. trying to get it fat

[genes]

I wonder has anyone successfully treated sucken belly, internal parisites using the medications available here. Seems like nothing works!

[iwishweallcouldwin]

hi all,

what causes internal parasites and how can this illness be best prevented?

[taygu]

I would suggest twice a day, once in the morning and once in the night. You should be able to see some result within a week.

This is the one from me?

Hi Jeffrey,

I am sure that the fish will be back to normal soon with you "exclusive" care.

Do keep us updated.

hi all,

what causes internal parasites and how can this illness be best prevented?

What I have done is used of medication for internal parasite and external fungus. Just a few drop when you feel that the fish is behaving abnormally.

[iwishweallcouldwin]

Hi all,

Thanks for your advice joe! by the way, are apistos considered bottom layer feeders, medium water feeders, or do they take floating pellets/flakes?

[taygu]

Suppose to be medium. For those who know better, please correct me if I am wrong. BUT, it sometime will pick up food from the fllor or go the suface to eat too.

[doppelbanddwarf]

I read in some websites that it is possible to treat internal parasites by feeding garlic to the fish everyday for at least a week.
I tried the method on an Apistogramma borelli female with sunken belly but it didn't make a difference. Perhaps the borelli was already too sick.

[taygu]

Hi Jeffrey, any updates for us?

[mervin]

I used to wash frozen blood worms before feeding and even then its no guarantee that the fishes will not come down with dropsy(hope i got the spelling right).

With the advances in fish food sciences, I feel there are not reasons to feed them anything else besides "prepared food".

I have very good experiences with Tetra flakes which promotes growth, health and colours.

Why exposed your expensive apistos to diseases ?
Because we feel that they will do better with live food ?

If you must, provide them brine shrimps or Baby Brine shrimps or even earthworms which most US breeder are feeding.

Good luck and have fun !

cheers

[doppelbanddwarf]

I normally feed my apistos a mix of Tetrabits and aquadene micropellets. They also eat a bit of the algae wafers i feed my sturisomas.
I also give my apistos a treat of daphnia once every 2 weeks. I would wash the daphnia under the tap before putting it in a container of water from my tank.
Wonder if any of the brothers here have encountered any internal parasite/emanciation problem etc with the feeding of daphnia?

[sheng]

Well, i will try not to feed live tubifex worn to my Apistogramma again.
Sigh, today i have lost my female Apistogramma bitaeniata which i brought from Polyart.
I know the risk of any internal parasite problem, but i still try my luck.
Now got to source for a female or may be sell away the male.

Problem of keeping Apistogramma is that, it wont be easy to get a replacement for male/female as the market for it isnt that big.

[mervin]

Wonder if any of the brothers here have encountered any internal parasite/emanciation problem etc with the feeding of daphnia?

Idid faced this problem

[genes]

Well, i will try not to feed live tubifex worn to my Apistogramma again.

Never feed them live tubifex worms. These worms are full of parasites and metals.

[yaya]

Never feed them live tubifex worms. These worms are full of parasites and metals.

Yes, i totally agreed with you. Feed them with frozen brine shrimp twice a day. Apisto will grow fat easily.

[valice]

Go for mysis shrimps as well. Some will eat while some will not. But can slowly wean them on it by mixing them with their favourite food.

[iwishweallcouldwin]

i agree that it is wiser to stay away from tubifex worms. find that its not worth risking the apistos to dropsy.. my betta got dropsy and the sight was simply too hard to take. but i did wait for him to breath his last before flushing. not to mention that tubifex worms have the tendency to burrow into the ada soil and live there..
my apistos are currently living on tetramin crisps and cyclopeeze as supplement...i highly recommend cyclopeeze.. got a new pair of triple red caca juveniles who started feeding eagerly on cyclopeeze after barely half a day in their new tank, which to me is pretty rare for fishes which are thrown into a new environment.
but i'm thinking of getting jbl nova tabs for aquarium fishes, is that good? heard it is good for medium layer feeders like apistos. but somehow i realise that apistos are more attracted to moving objects/food...

do frozen brine shrimps carry any bacteria risks? is it the canned type that you're refering to?

[yaya]

do frozen brine shrimps carry any bacteria risks? is it the canned type that you're refering to?

Bro, frozen brine shrimps is like the package of frozen tubiflex worms. I don't think it carry any bacteria risks because i feed it to my fishes everyday, none of them got any internal parasite problem. touchwood. You can get it from any LFS.

Cheers.